Aaron Hernandez's fiancee indicted for perjury

Sep. 27, 2013
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In this Sept. 6, 2013 photo, Shayanna Jenkins, fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez gets into her car outside superior court. She has been indicted on a perjury charge. / Josh Reynolds, AP

by Staff and wire reports, USATODAY

by Staff and wire reports, USATODAY

FALL RIVER, Mass. - The fiancee of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a perjury charge in connection with the killing of his friend.

A Massachusetts prosecutor said Friday that a grand jury indicted Shayanna Jenkins on a single count in relation to the investigation into the June 17 killing of the friend, Odin Lloyd.

Jenkins' indictment was one of three announced Friday. Also indicted were Hernandez associate Carlos Ortiz, who now faces a charge of being an accessory after fact, and Hernandez's cousin, Tanya Singleton, who was indicted for conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact.

Lloyd was found shot to death in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass., near Hernandez's home, where Jenkins also lives. Her sister had been dating Lloyd.

A statement, released by the Bristol County (Mass.) district attorney's office, did not provide any information about the basis for the criminal charges against Ortiz or the women.

Prosecutors say Jenkins -- who has a child with Hernandez -- started lying from the get-go, telling them she went to bed early on the night of the shooting and didn't know where Hernandez went or with whom.

But, investigators say, she is shown on the surveillance video, welcoming Ernest Wallace, whom prosecutors have called Hernandez's "right-hand man," and Ortiz to the house when they came to pick up Hernandez and take Lloyd for his last ride.

While investigators were talking to Jenkins only hours after the body was found, she received a cellphone call from Hernandez, who instructed her to stop talking, police said.

Prosecutors also believe Jenkins ditched the murder weapon (a .45-caliber Glock that hasn't been found) and a .22-caliber weapon that was recovered near Hernandez's home. When found, the .22-caliber handgun appeared to have been "recently discarded," prosecutors said.

Ortiz and Wallace are seen on home surveillance footage carrying a similar gun, which Ortiz called a "deuce deuce" to police.

A message was left for Jenkins' lawyer.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Lloyd's death and is being held without bail. Prosecutors have stopped short of saying Hernandez pulled the trigger, instead alleging he "orchestrated" the execution-style shooting.

The indictment of Ortiz, who originally pleaded not guilty to illegal possession of a firearm, was expected, Ortiz attorney John Connors said. Bail has not been set for Ortiz, who will plead not guilty, Connors said. Prosecutors said the weapons charge had been dropped.

Ortiz had been shaping up as the star witness, but he now is wavering on his account of the shooting, prosecutors said. According to affidavits, Ortiz previously told authorities that Hernandez and Wallace got out of a rental vehicle with Lloyd in the industrial park to urinate.

Ortiz said he remained in the car and heard shots but could not see who had fired them because of the early-morning darkness.

But now, Ortiz "does not think" Wallace got out of the vehicle with Hernandez and Lloyd, assistant district attorney Patrick Bomberg said during a bail hearing for Wallace on Thursday.

Wallace, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact, is being held on $500,000 bail after the hearing.

Prosecutors said Singleton, already incarcerated for refusing to testify to the grand jury while awarded immunity, was indicted on a new charge of conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact.

Investigators say Singleton, told about the shooting the next day by Ortiz, helped Wallace flee to Florida by purchasing a bus ticket for him.